Charles e



(No Model.)

0. E. SGRIBNBR. TOLL COLLECTING DEVICE EOE TELEPHONES. No. 599,801.

Patented Mar. 1, 1898.

Mfyzesses: 4 f L C. n

UNITED STATES- -PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SCRIRNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERNELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

-VOLL-COLLECTING D-EVlCE FOR TELEPHONES..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 599,801, dated March1, 1898. l

` Application iled July20,1896. SerialNo. 599,799. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SCRIBNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Toll-Collecting Devicesfor Telephones, (Case No. 4.27,) of which the following is a full,clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication.

My invention relates to appliances for receiving and depositing coins ortokens and -by the coin when` in the socket, means for suddenlywithdrawingl or projecting the coin from the socket, and a bell-hammeror other sounding mechanism connected with the nger and actuated therebyto give al signal.

In the present` form of the invention the iinger and bell-hammer arelocated upon opposite extremities of a centrally-pivoted lever. Theseare mounted upon asliding block or cross-head, wherein the socketadapted to receive the coin is formed. o The means for expelling thecoin consists in an opening of suitable size, before which kthecoin isbrought in one position of the sliding block,in conjunction with a spring actingupon the fin ger to project the coin'through the'iopening. Forconvenience the spring andthe bell are mounted upon fixed portions oftheslide in such positions that the parts with which they cooperate arebrought into position to .permit them to exercise their severalfunctions at the proper moment.

The device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure1 is a verticalcentral section of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of it. Fig. 3 is a sectional view representing the mechanismin position ejecting a deposited coin and giving a signal.

the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a rear View, partially in section. Fig. 6 is ahorizontal sectional view. Y

The operative parts are mounted in a frame case, a portion of which isshown at a3.

Fig. 4 is a plan of- 0 fixed by brackets ct aiwithin any'suitable Thisframe is provided on one of its faces with a guideway formed byoverlapping guides a4 a5,

wherein a block or cross-head'b slides vertically. Fixed to the blockbis a projection h', carrying a button c, projecting through an openingin the case. The block b is also provided With a stud h2, upon which aspiral spring d abuts, the other end of the spring bepurpose ofmaintaining the alinement of thel spring. This spring d tends to holdthe block b at the upper position of its range.

The upper end of the block b is cut away i to present a semicircularsocket a little larger than the coin for which the instrument isadapted-for example, adime. The frameplate d is cut away at a7 at thefront of the instrument, but the edges lof the opening are permitted tooverlap'the opening in the block b. This opening a7 is enlarged,however, to circular form of the same diameter as the semicircularopening in the block b at a position coinciding with the saidsemicircular opening when'the block is brought into its lowest position.At the rear of the block h isa pivoted lever e, carried in trunnions194195 of block b. This lever terminates at its upper extremity in afinger e', and carries at its lower extremity a bell-hammer e2, thelower extremity be,- ing formed of smallerl diameter to'obtain a slightflexibility. Opposite the linger e' a lug h6 is secured to the block.The semicircular opening in block h, the lug h6, and the overlappingedges of the plate a form a socket to receive the coin, while the ngere' projects normally into this socket and is slightly dis- `placedtherefrom bya deposited coin, as rep- IOC light pressure; but as thepivotal point of the lever approaches the extremity of spring i thepressure continually increases.

On the bracket a of the frame is carried a bell k in such a positionthat ordinarily the hammer c2 in descending with the block b whendepressed shall not strike the bell.

The operation of the contrivanee is as follows: If when no coin ispresent in the socket the button cbe depressed, the block Z) will becarried down to its lowest position. The spring fi will engage the levere with a gradually-increasing pressure; but since the linger c' is freeto project into the socket in block l) the spring will not be materiallycompressed. IVhen the plug has reached its lowest position, the hammerc2 will lie opposite the edge of bell 7a, as shown in Fig. 3, but out ofcontact with the bell. When, however, the required toll or coin f hasbeen deposited in the socket, the depression of button c will cause thebell 7c to ring in the following manner: W'hile the block I) is in itsnormal position, the coin will lie loosely in the socket. In the rstdownward movement of button c, however, the lever c will be thrustagainst the spring i, whereby the linger c will be caused to press thecoin against the lug b, and thus to grasp the coin securely. The cointhereafter will move downward with the block, being grasped with acontinually -increasing pressure. Finally, at the lowest position ofblock Z), as shown in Fig. 3, the coin will be brought opposite theenlargement of the opening in frameplate c, at which moment it will beprojected through that openingby the pressure of linger e' upon it. Thelever c, being `suddenly released, will be thrust by a spring i into itsalternate position. The flexibility of the lower extremity of the leverwill permit the hammer c2 to strike the bell k, and thus to give therequired signal.

The invention is designed to be associated with telephone toll-boxes insuch position that the sound of bell 7o may be transmitted to thestation-telephone, and may thus be heard by an operator at the centraloflice. The ringing of the bell will therefore become a signal to theoperator of the deposit of a coin; but since numerous other forms ofcoin-controlled bell-ringing mechanisms have been associated withsimilar telephonic apparatus I have not considered it necessary toillustrate the latter apparatus.

l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination with a coin-chute provided with a socket for a coin, of alinger adapted to grasp the coin when in the socket, means for releasingthe coin from the pressure of the finger and a signal-sounding deviceoperated by the finger when released, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a coin-chute provided with a socket adapted toreceive a coin,

of a spring-pressed finger lying in the socket and adapted to bedisplaced therefrom, means for projecting the coin from the socket, abellhammer attached by a llexible connection to the said linger, and abell in position to be struck by the hammer, substantially as described.

3. In combination, two parts movable with relation to each other andadapted to form a socket for a coin in their normal position, one ofsaid parts being provided with an opening adapted to permit the ejectionof a coin in their alternate position, means for changing the positionof said parts with relation to each other to release the coin, aspring-pressed linger projecting into the socket and adapted to bedisplaced therefrom by a coin in the socket,abellhammerconnected withsaid linger by a yielding connection, a signal-sounding appliance, andmeans for actuating the same brought into operative connection when thesaid socket-forming parts are in position to release the coin, and meansactuated by the spring-pressed linger when released adapted to actuatethe said mechanism, as described.

4. In combination two parts constructed to slide upon each other andadapted to form a socket for a coin in their normal position, means formoving one of them into an alternate relative position, an opening inthe socket-forming portion of one of them brought into coincidence withthe corresponding portion of the other in said alternate position torelease the coin, a linger projecting into the socket and adapted to bedisplaced therefrom by a coin in the socket, a bell-hammer connected bya yielding extension with said finger, a bell in position to be struckby said hammer, and a pressure-spring brought into operative connectionwith said linger when the socket-forming parts are in their alternateposition, substantially as described.

5. In combination a lixed plate anda block adapted to slide thereon, asocket formed in part by a portion of said plate and by a portion ofsaid block, means for moving the block into an alternate position, anopening in the plate at said alternate position adapted to permit theejection of the coin, a linger projecting into the socket, a bell-hammer carried by a yielding connection thereon, and a fixedpressure-spring adapted to engage with said finger after it has movedslightly from its normal position; whereby a deposited coin is graspedin the socket to be carried to the alternate position, and is ejectedtherefrom to cause the operation of the bell, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of May, A.D. 1896.

CHARLES E. SCRIBNER.

Vitnesses:

ELLA EDLER, FRANK R. MCBERTY.

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